diff --git a/drivers/dax/device.c b/drivers/dax/device.c
index f6f4dcf52fa5..7229d1dccfc7 100644
--- a/drivers/dax/device.c
+++ b/drivers/dax/device.c
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ static vm_fault_t dev_dax_fault(struct vm_fault *vmf)
 	return dev_dax_huge_fault(vmf, PE_SIZE_PTE);
 }
 
-static int dev_dax_split(struct vm_area_struct *vma, unsigned long addr)
+static int dev_dax_may_split(struct vm_area_struct *vma, unsigned long addr)
 {
 	struct file *filp = vma->vm_file;
 	struct dev_dax *dev_dax = filp->private_data;
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ static unsigned long dev_dax_pagesize(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
 static const struct vm_operations_struct dax_vm_ops = {
 	.fault = dev_dax_fault,
 	.huge_fault = dev_dax_huge_fault,
-	.split = dev_dax_split,
+	.may_split = dev_dax_may_split,
 	.pagesize = dev_dax_pagesize,
 };
 
diff --git a/include/linux/mm.h b/include/linux/mm.h
index 2215a08fab03..3812fd33eb33 100644
--- a/include/linux/mm.h
+++ b/include/linux/mm.h
@@ -409,7 +409,8 @@ enum page_entry_size {
 struct vm_operations_struct {
 	void (*open)(struct vm_area_struct * area);
 	void (*close)(struct vm_area_struct * area);
-	int (*split)(struct vm_area_struct * area, unsigned long addr);
+	/* Called any time before splitting to check if it's allowed */
+	int (*may_split)(struct vm_area_struct *area, unsigned long addr);
 	int (*mremap)(struct vm_area_struct * area);
 	vm_fault_t (*fault)(struct vm_fault *vmf);
 	vm_fault_t (*huge_fault)(struct vm_fault *vmf,
diff --git a/ipc/shm.c b/ipc/shm.c
index 6dc796ac8d8e..5988b83af29a 100644
--- a/ipc/shm.c
+++ b/ipc/shm.c
@@ -526,13 +526,13 @@ static vm_fault_t shm_fault(struct vm_fault *vmf)
 	return sfd->vm_ops->fault(vmf);
 }
 
-static int shm_split(struct vm_area_struct *vma, unsigned long addr)
+static int shm_may_split(struct vm_area_struct *vma, unsigned long addr)
 {
 	struct file *file = vma->vm_file;
 	struct shm_file_data *sfd = shm_file_data(file);
 
-	if (sfd->vm_ops->split)
-		return sfd->vm_ops->split(vma, addr);
+	if (sfd->vm_ops->may_split)
+		return sfd->vm_ops->may_split(vma, addr);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -674,7 +674,7 @@ static const struct vm_operations_struct shm_vm_ops = {
 	.open	= shm_open,	/* callback for a new vm-area open */
 	.close	= shm_close,	/* callback for when the vm-area is released */
 	.fault	= shm_fault,
-	.split	= shm_split,
+	.may_split = shm_may_split,
 	.pagesize = shm_pagesize,
 #if defined(CONFIG_NUMA)
 	.set_policy = shm_set_policy,
diff --git a/mm/hugetlb.c b/mm/hugetlb.c
index 47e98a5726c4..af6ca8800101 100644
--- a/mm/hugetlb.c
+++ b/mm/hugetlb.c
@@ -3253,7 +3253,7 @@ const struct vm_operations_struct hugetlb_vm_ops = {
 	.fault = hugetlb_vm_op_fault,
 	.open = hugetlb_vm_op_open,
 	.close = hugetlb_vm_op_close,
-	.split = hugetlb_vm_op_split,
+	.may_split = hugetlb_vm_op_split,
 	.pagesize = hugetlb_vm_op_pagesize,
 };
 
diff --git a/mm/mmap.c b/mm/mmap.c
index b38d25a2adc6..c938ac24653a 100644
--- a/mm/mmap.c
+++ b/mm/mmap.c
@@ -2716,8 +2716,8 @@ int __split_vma(struct mm_struct *mm, struct vm_area_struct *vma,
 	struct vm_area_struct *new;
 	int err;
 
-	if (vma->vm_ops && vma->vm_ops->split) {
-		err = vma->vm_ops->split(vma, addr);
+	if (vma->vm_ops && vma->vm_ops->may_split) {
+		err = vma->vm_ops->may_split(vma, addr);
 		if (err)
 			return err;
 	}